Page 67 of Spike

The thought of never seeing that future we had envisioned become a reality was like a dagger to my heart, filling me with an overwhelming sense of loss and despair.

Clive noticed my reaction, his triumphant grin widening.

"That's right," he taunted, relishing in my distress. "Your biker bear is a fool. Draven will burn him and his buddies to a crisp... but he'll start with you first."

The implication of Clive's words hit me like a punch to the gut.

Jack would order Draven to kill me first, just to see the anguish on Spike's face.

He truly was evil incarnate.

"Let's get this show on the road," Clive said with a sneer, leading me to the back of the pack house.

We entered a large empty field, devoid of trees and plant life. It dawned on me that this must be the pack's challenge circle—every shifter group had one.

I couldn't help but notice the scorch marks left on the dead grass, evidence of past executions.

How many others had met their end in this grim arena under Jack's command?

As we approached the center, I saw Jack standing there, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.

His gaze locked onto me, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

Beside him stood Draven, looking worn and weary, his haunted eyes betraying the torment he must have endured under Jack’s control.

It was clear that Jack had summoned the entire pack to witness my execution.

"Gray, so glad you could join us. The show's about to begin," Jack taunted, his voice dripping with malice.

He gestured towards Clive, who roughly pulled me along to join their group. The fear and dread building inside me reached a fever pitch as I realized the gravity of the situation.

This was it—there was no turning back now.

19

GRAY

Spike and his crew soon arrived, and my dread morphed into a suffocating sense of apprehension.

He only brought a small team with him, much to my relief. Nitro was by his side, as expected, along with three other bear shifters whose faces I didn't recognize.

Colin wasn't among their ranks, and for some reason, that brought me a fleeting sense of relief.

One less life to be caught in the crossfire, one less death on my conscience before I die.

"I didn't think you'd be reckless enough to come back here, Spike, but here you are," Jack said with a sneer. "And with such a modest team. What a shame, I was looking forward to a grand spectacle, feeding more grizzly shifters to Draven today."

"So you can bolster your ego and intimidate neighboring shifter groups? Look around, Jack. Your pack members are terrified of you,” Spike said.

Spike's gaze finally found mine, and in that fleeting moment, the tension in my chest eased.

There was a softness in his eyes, affection and even tenderness. We exchanged only a single look, but it spoke volumes.

Through our mating bond, I anticipated to sense recklessness and despair emanating from Spike's end.

Yet, what I felt instead was an unexpected surge of confidence. Confidence?

My heart skipped a beat, the rhythm quickening with excitement. Was Spike truly confident we could come out of this mess alive?

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